Thy Word:

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds

“Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

“‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

“‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’” Matthew 13:24-30 NLT

Parable of the Mustard Seed

“Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.” Matthew 13:31-32 NLT

Parable of the Yeast

“Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:

“I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.” Matthew 13:33-35 NLT

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My Thoughts: Parable of the Wheat and Weeds: I love this parable because it represents believers (wheat) and unbelievers (weeds), and God is the farmer. When the farmer plants the seeds for his wheat and it first begins to grow, it can easily be mistaken for a weed. This can also be said about new believers. Why? It takes time before the growth and change in their relationship with Jesus to look anything like him. In other words, just because you become a believer today, doesn’t mean that your life will drastically change tomorrow.

It normally takes time and effort to change or stop our worldly habits and sins. Is God able to change us immediately? He absolutely can and still does today. But normally our change (to look more like Jesus) is a process which not only helps us learn and grow it eventually becomes a testimony for us to share with others.

The saddest part of this parable is when the time comes for the farmer (God) to pass judgment by separating the wheat from the weeds. When that happens, the weeds will be destroyed. As a believer, if our faith is sincere, we have nothing to worry about, however, it’s the weeds we should be sharing our seeds with in the hope that they too will become wheat! God himself doesn’t want anyone to perish:

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. 2 Peter 3:9-10

Parable of the Mustard Seed: The mustard seed is the smallest seed a farmer will sow. Jesus uses this parable to show that the kingdom has small beginnings, but will grow and produce great results. We are to never underestimate the size of our shared testimony or how we reflect Jesus. It can be a simple act of kindness, a smile at just the right time, or to simply ask ‘how can I pray for you today,’ that can grow into something very large for the Kingdom! Let’s commit to take the time!

Parable of the Yeast:  In this parable yeast is a positive symbol for growth. It may be a minor ingredient, but it permeates the entire mixture, and in time it will grow in size. The reality is good ingredients and bad ingredients have the potential to make something great or something rotten. The question is, what seeds are we planting into others today?

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Closing Prayer: Father God, I pray that I bury all of these stories in my heart and rejoice that when the day of harvest comes, I will go to the Kingdom of Heaven. However, I also understand that once I accepted you as my Lord and Savior, I also took on the role of farmer and it is my responsibility to share the seeds (Jesus Christ) while you take care of crop production (wheat or weeds) and what is going to be harvested. Father I pray today for boldness and opportunities to be Your hands and feet while I am on this earth. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.